The last edition of SmackDown witnessed the return of John Cena. The Champ teamed up with Kevin Owens to defeat Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn in the main event. This return was a special occasion for the fans, marking the first time since 2021 that the Hollywood actor wrestled in WWE. However, the fans could’ve been treated to another top Hollywood star making an appearance on the show, but it wasn’t to be.

WWE star Titus O’Neil tweeted photos of him being backstage along with former WWE Champion Batista. As the photos of Batista backstage on SmackDown circled on Twitter, fans found it hard to believe that he didn’t make an appearance on the show.

Fans frustrated as Batista not used on SmackDown amid John Cena’s return

This past week on SmackDown featured John Cena’s much-hyped return to action. As Cena and Owens picked up the win over The Bloodline, the show was electric from start to finish. But it appears that WWE missed out on adding even more star power to the show by not having the Batista show up.

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Batista had an impactful career inside the squared circle, which the fans fondly recall. His career in Hollywood has only magnified his celebrity status. His presence on the show would’ve been a great surprise for the fans and made for an exciting moment. The fans were not too pleased to find out that WWE had denied them this chance and felt betrayed.

READ MORE: “Take That Cute Little Girl…Cena’s Laughing”: Dave Bautista Once Threatened John Cena’s Ex-Manager for His Unpleasant Antics

After the photos of The Animal backstage with Titus O’Neil did rounds fans expressed their frustrations over not seeing Batista on the show. One fan wrote, “You got the greatest actor in wrestling history backstage and not making an appearance smh.” Another fan commented, “Big Dave should have been on the show!”

Here are the top reactions from fans expressing their disappointment at not seeing Batista make an appearance on SmackDown.

Fans really wanted an appearance from The Animal.

Although he didn’t appear on the show, there could be a slight possibility of him making a Royal Rumble appearance or showing up to WrestleMania Hollywood.

Batista’s Hollywood career is on a roll

Dave Bautista had a glittering WWE career. The Animal was the muscle of the iconic Evolution stable before breaking out on his own. He won six world championships and was a two-time Royal Rumble winner. The Animal retired in 2019 after his final match at WrestleMania 35 against Triple H and hasn’t made a WWE appearance since.

The main reason for this is his Hollywood career, which has taken off big time. Following in the footsteps of Dwayne Johnson and John Cena, Batista has established himself as a top actor and is a big part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Drax. Apart from that, he has starred in films like Army of the Dead, Dune, and Escape Plan among others. His acting prowess has been appreciated by the fans and some have even put him above Dwayne Johnson in that regard.

Moreover, he earned plaudits for his role in the recent release of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The director of the movie Rian Johnson labeled Dave Bautista as the ‘greatest wrestled-turned actor. Batista continues to excel in Hollywood and has a long career ahead of him. This also means it could be a while before we see Big Dave on WWE again, but never say never.

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